Police arrest 44 on parole, other charges in raid of tenderloin district

October 18, 2012 9:47:25 PM PDT

SAN FRANCISCO --

San Francisco police led a five-hour sweep that ended in the arrests of 44 people in the Tenderloin district on parole violations and other charges Wednesday, police said.

The San Francisco Police Department, in partnership with the Sheriff's Department and California State Parole Agents, selected the Tenderloin area for the raid due to the large number of wanted parolees there, police said.

Of the 44 suspects arrested, 13 were picked up on parole violations, 29 were booked on felony charges or felony warrants and 15 were brought in on misdemeanor charges or warrants.

Leading the operation was the police department's Violence Reduction Team, comprised of officers from district stations.

The department coordinates sweeps in various parts of the city to reduce crime and violence on city streets, and is aligned with its crime-fighting strategy known as Interrupt, Predict, Organize, or IPO, according to police.